Do Grad Schools keep track of who emails them?

[karrie_o]

My academic advisor told me that if I have any questions about the application or about the program I should EMAIL instead of call them because they keep track of who emails them and when it's time to make a decision they can use e-mails to determine who contacted the school with relevant questions before applying. I heard they also look at who

Comments

[lostreality]

I think you should email instead of call because that's what most professors do, and if they see your name in print they are more likely to remember it then if they just hear you quickly say it over the phone, but I don't think schools look at either emails or who attends information nights ever. Unless you meet some profs at information night, who later remember your name...

[purenoumena]

Boy, I really hope not... because I sent the graduate school what later seemed like a stupid question after I heard back from the online tech support. However, I did retract my question with a polite thank you...

[karrie_o]

oh i should add that the person who we're supposed to email if we have questions is the Graduate Advisor for the department. Is he going to be part of the admissions committee or have any input?????

[lostreality]

if it's a prof with the title of "Grad adviser" and not a secretary of some kind, there's a very high chance he will be on the admissions committee.

[zanylikethat]

It varies from department to department.

In my department, I get really sick of answering questions from applicants who are trying to look good.

I'm sure there are departments out there that do that, but I've never encountered any of them.

To put it very bluntly, admissions are about the quality of the application, not about the brownie points you've earned during the process.

[acommonreader]

I agree - most especially with the second and last lines of this feedback. Professors - particularly professors who are any committee, teaching, writing, and conducting their own research - would not have the time or patience to do anything like tally e-mails.

What you look like on paper counts - that is, on your application, in any form of writing sample, and by means of the details of your CV. This is what will determine their "yes" or "no," and grab their attention.

[freddie]

Are you a sitting professor?

[zanylikethat]

No, I am the graduate administrator.

[theredrighthand]

Ha, I spent the 6+ months before my application emailing my dept's admin assistant back and forth about all manner of things, from global warming to birth control. We developed quite a friendship ;) Hopefully those didn't count as official correspondence!